PARIS, France — France’s Court of Cassation has rejected Achraf Hakimi’s final challenge to an order sending him to trial on a rape charge, according to a judicial source quoted by AFP on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The decision leaves the trial referral in place.
Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain defender and Morocco captain, has repeatedly denied the accusation. The Court of Cassation did not decide whether he is guilty; its ruling concerned the legal challenge to the trial order. No trial date had been announced by 9:12 AM EAT on Thursday.
The Court of Cassation rejected Hakimi’s final appeal against the order sending him to trial. That means the rape charge can proceed to a criminal court hearing. The ruling is procedural, not a verdict on guilt, and Hakimi continues to deny the accusation.
The Court of Cassation is France’s highest court for reviewing whether lower courts correctly applied the law in civil and criminal matters. It does not retry the evidence in the way a trial court does.
AFP reported that the court rejected Hakimi’s challenge on 23 September. His lawyer, Fanny Colin, stressed that the allegations themselves had not been examined by the Court of Cassation and would be addressed at trial.
The decision removes the final appeal route against the referral order. It does not establish the truth of the accusation, and it does not change the prosecution’s obligation to prove the charge in court.
How the case reached France’s highest court
The case concerns an accusation dating from February 2023. French prosecutors later charged Hakimi with rape. He denies wrongdoing.
An investigating judge ordered that he stand trial before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department. The Versailles Court of Appeal upheld that order in June 2026, during the World Cup.
Hakimi then appealed to the Court of Cassation. Wednesday’s decision rejected that final procedural challenge. L’Équipe and Euronews France also reported that the trial referral now stands.
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Sep 24, 2026
Sep 24, 2026
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PARIS, France — France’s Court of Cassation has rejected Achraf Hakimi’s final challenge to an order sending him to trial on a rape charge, according to a judicial source quoted by AFP on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. The decision leaves the trial referral in place.
Hakimi, the Paris Saint-Germain defender and Morocco captain, has repeatedly denied the accusation. The Court of Cassation did not decide whether he is guilty; its ruling concerned the legal challenge to the trial order. No trial date had been announced by 9:12 AM EAT on Thursday.
The Court of Cassation rejected Hakimi’s final appeal against the order sending him to trial. That means the rape charge can proceed to a criminal court hearing. The ruling is procedural, not a verdict on guilt, and Hakimi continues to deny the accusation.
The Court of Cassation is France’s highest court for reviewing whether lower courts correctly applied the law in civil and criminal matters. It does not retry the evidence in the way a trial court does.
AFP reported that the court rejected Hakimi’s challenge on 23 September. His lawyer, Fanny Colin, stressed that the allegations themselves had not been examined by the Court of Cassation and would be addressed at trial.
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The decision removes the final appeal route against the referral order. It does not establish the truth of the accusation, and it does not change the prosecution’s obligation to prove the charge in court.
How the case reached France’s highest court
The case concerns an accusation dating from February 2023. French prosecutors later charged Hakimi with rape. He denies wrongdoing.
An investigating judge ordered that he stand trial before the criminal court in the Hauts-de-Seine department. The Versailles Court of Appeal upheld that order in June 2026, during the World Cup.
Hakimi then appealed to the Court of Cassation. Wednesday’s decision rejected that final procedural challenge. L’Équipe and Euronews France also reported that the trial referral now stands.
XTRAfrica’s June report on the Versailles appeal ruling explained the earlier order and Hakimi’s denial. The new Court of Cassation ruling is a meaningful procedural update because it closes the challenge to that referral rather than repeating the June decision.
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What Hakimi and the other parties say
Hakimi’s lawyer told AFP that he had cooperated with investigators and would present his defence publicly at trial. The footballer continues to benefit from the presumption of innocence.
Rachel-Flore Pardo, a lawyer for the complainant, said her client remained determined to seek justice after years of legal proceedings. Reporting should protect the complainant’s identity and avoid publishing unnecessary personal details.
Paris Saint-Germain said Hakimi had consistently denied the accusation. The club also stated that it supports the presumption of innocence while maintaining its opposition to sexual violence.
Morocco World News highlighted the significance of the ruling for one of Morocco’s highest-profile footballers. International pickup continued into Thursday morning, including Football Today’s update.
Why the distinction between trial and conviction matters
A referral to trial means a court will hear the case. It is not a finding that the accused committed the offence. The prosecution must present evidence, the defence can challenge it and the trial court will make the factual and legal decision.
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The Court of Cassation’s role was narrower. It reviewed the legal challenge to the referral; it did not determine guilt or innocence. Headlines that describe Hakimi as convicted would therefore be false.
The same caution applies to sporting consequences. The ruling does not itself suspend Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain or Morocco, and no new club or federation sanction was announced with the court decision.
The case can now move toward a hearing in the Hauts-de-Seine criminal court. The authorities had not announced a trial date by the update time.
The next verifiable milestone will be a court scheduling notice or a formal procedural filing. Until then, the accurate position is that the final appeal against the trial order has failed, the charge remains to be tried and Hakimi denies it.
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